I am a former CCNP, but unfortunantly 3 years ago let the cert lapse. I am considering moving forward again with certifications, which effectively mandates that I start over with CCNA.

I had heard that there was a composite CCNA exam that could be taken in place of having to take what is now 2 exams ICND 1 and 2. Does anyone have any experience with this exam? It would be my best guess that the exam is more challenging now. If anyone has any experience or insight on the best way to prepare for this exam, it would be greatly appreciated.

I took the test a couple years ago and it was much more intense than the first time I took it in 2001. There was more hands on. Also, the hands on portion of the exam covered multiple topics at one time. My advice would be to know subnetting like the back of your hand. Know how to configure NAT and ACL. If you have hands on experience it should not be too much of an issue. It does require some understanding of how to move around in the router. If you are not familiar with that I would suggest finding a way to get your hands on a sim or actual hardware.